Be Afraid: CEO’s Pray That Apple and Amazon Don’t Come to Town

By Jeff Hyman A little bit of paranoia sometimes is a good thing. Recent announcements by Apple — that it is expanding its U.S. operations — and Amazon — it’s narrowed the list of potential cities for its next headquarters to 20 — should put you on notice: your star performers are at risk of being recruited away. As if the war for talent wasn’t already raging. Over the next five years, Apple will construct a new corporate campus, creating over 20,000 new jobs. Obviously, that’s great news for the U.S. economy — but what will it mean for your company? If Apple contacts your Rockstar employee about a job today, how do you think that person will respond? Any idea how many people you’d lose if Apple locates its new corporate campus in your town? What would happen to local salaries? Yes, Apple is just one company, but it’s emblematic of a trend. The largest and most successful technology companies are expanding rapidly and are hellbent on recruiting top talent to drive their